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Distrust Her Shadow
To Darcy it was just another job
All she had to do was deliver a letter. But the assignment was not what it seemed - Darcy was the unwitting messenger in a dangerous blackmail plot!
Neve Macalister believed she was involved and to prove it he kidnapped her. "I'm going to see you get all you deserve and more," he threatened.
And even when the truth had set Darcy free, she knew she would never escape the haunting memory of her bittersweet captivity.
All she had to do was deliver a letter. But the assignment was not what it seemed - Darcy was the unwitting messenger in a dangerous blackmail plot!
Neve Macalister believed she was involved and to prove it he kidnapped her. "I'm going to see you get all you deserve and more," he threatened.
And even when the truth had set Darcy free, she knew she would never escape the haunting memory of her bittersweet captivity.
189 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
1 person is currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Steele
339 books113 followersJessica Steele was born on May 9, 1933 in the elegant Warwickshire town of Royal Leamington Spa. She has two super brothers, Colin and George, and a lovely sister, Elizabeth. She was a delicate child and missed a lot of school. In fact, she left school at aged 14, when she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis. At 16, she started work as a junior clerk. In 1967, Jessica married with her husband, Peter and within a very short space of time they had moved from her hometown to the lovely area where they now live. Their house is built into the side of a hill, and has beautiful views over more hills and valleys. Her brothers and her sister are very close and she has plenty of nephews and nieces to make up for the fact that she and her husband have no children of their own. Both she and her husband are more than a little dog-oriented, and their current dog is a Staffordshire bull terrier named Florence. Florence is gorgeous. She loves everybody but, since she is 40 pounds of dynamite and would hurl her boisterous self at everyone she meets - given half a chance - she has to be restrained (as much as possible). She is fun.
Her husband spurred Jessica on to her writing career, giving her every support while she did what she considers her five-year apprenticeship (the rejection years) while learning how to write. She published her first books in 1979. Jessica has tried using a typewriter, but it just doesn't work for her. She is much happier writing in longhand, and in actual fact has a dozen or so fountain pens filled and ready to go at the start of any one session. A friend has a secretarial agency and, after deciphering Jessica's writing, returns an immaculately typed manuscript. To gain authentic background for her books, she has travelled and researched in Greece, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
Her husband spurred Jessica on to her writing career, giving her every support while she did what she considers her five-year apprenticeship (the rejection years) while learning how to write. She published her first books in 1979. Jessica has tried using a typewriter, but it just doesn't work for her. She is much happier writing in longhand, and in actual fact has a dozen or so fountain pens filled and ready to go at the start of any one session. A friend has a secretarial agency and, after deciphering Jessica's writing, returns an immaculately typed manuscript. To gain authentic background for her books, she has travelled and researched in Greece, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 26, 2019
JS tries her hand at Stockholm syndrome with mixed results. The actual kidnapping was terrifying enough to keep me reading. The hero seems menacing. His motives murky. Wonderful.
Then it all goes silly as the hero releases the heroine after a weekend at his home – but not before he engages her services as a temporary secretary at his business.
*sigh*
We had high adventure/angst devolve into an office romance with the heroine misunderstanding the hero’s relationship with his sister. The hero chasing the heroine for a relationship. And the heroine’s elderly nanny landing in tight spots and getting out of them without ever being aware of any danger or irregularities in the heroine’s life.
The second kidnapping with the hero snatching the elderly nanny as bait was cute, though. Still, I was disappointed that OTT melodrama of the hero slapping a hysterical heroine wasn’t continued throughout the story.
Final verdict – a bit uneven, but an interesting premise.
Then it all goes silly as the hero releases the heroine after a weekend at his home – but not before he engages her services as a temporary secretary at his business.
*sigh*
We had high adventure/angst devolve into an office romance with the heroine misunderstanding the hero’s relationship with his sister. The hero chasing the heroine for a relationship. And the heroine’s elderly nanny landing in tight spots and getting out of them without ever being aware of any danger or irregularities in the heroine’s life.
The second kidnapping with the hero snatching the elderly nanny as bait was cute, though. Still, I was disappointed that OTT melodrama of the hero slapping a hysterical heroine wasn’t continued throughout the story.
Final verdict – a bit uneven, but an interesting premise.
March 25, 2019
Another one where the hero treats the heroine like crap because of his ridiculous fixation that she is a blackmailer then gets insta-forgiveness on the last page. By the time he has finally managed to dislodge his shit-for-brains donkey-head from his ample posterior and stopped with the bruising, shaking shoulder grips, the slapping, and the endless tart shaming, not to mention plenty of threats and blackmailing on his own, I wanted to scream to the heroine to run. Instead, the idiot lets her traitorous body make very shaky life decision to marry this turd. My prediction is that the honeymoon won't be over before he is back to his old tricks and this marriage will eventually end with her running away to a woman's shelter.
March 21, 2014
4 Stars ~ Orphaned at 18, the only relative Darcy had wasn't really a relative but her mother's elderly nanny. Emmy was a sweet woman now in her 80's and Darcy often let her believe she was taking care of Darcy and not the other way around. Working as a secretary for the past four years, Darcy found it hard to hold a job because Emmy often became ill and Darcy's attendance suffered. So she took a position with her friend's temp agency, thus giving her the ability to miss work should Emmy need her. Jane's agency is fairly new and struggling to survive. Advertising "Any job, any where, any time" brings in a messenger job that Jane offers to Darcy. All she has to do is deliver an envelope to a Mr. Littlejohn at a hotel in a small town outside of London. When Darcy arrives she's shocked to be met at the door by two thugs who quickly pull her into the room and scare the tar out of her. She thinks they are going to attack her and in her fear she faints, hitting her head quite hard in the process. When she comes to she finds herself on a leather sofa in a darkened room with a very angry man who accuses her to being an accomplice to a blackmailer and insists she's not going anywhere until she coughs up the truth.
Neve is astonished to find his sister's blackmailer had sent a woman to do his dirty work, but he can't quite believe that Darcy is totally innocent. So he keeps her locked in his house for the weekend until he can confirm her story. When Neve lets her leave on the Sunday, Darcy is still not sure that he believes her and then on the Monday she finds herself temping as his private secretary. He holds the threat of seeing Jane's agency ruined if she doesn't work for him. And continues to hold this threat over her so that he can see more of her. While Neve is a slavedriver, Darcy comes to see a more gentler side. When a passionate kiss quickly leads to much more, Darcy panics and orders Neve to stop. Of course he does, but then there are accusations and both shout insults which have Darcy fleeing. Fearing that Neve is going to ruin Jane's agency, she calls him to plead for him not to, only to be surprised when Neve is apologizing. She learns also from Jane that Neve has referred the agency to his colleagues and the business is now thriving. Confident now that the agency is safe, Darcy flatly refuses when Neve tries to hire her again for work. She hangs up on his calls and then even refuses to answer her door when he comes knocking. So one day while she's out on a job, Neve comes to her home and he kidnaps Emmy, now she'll have to see him.
I must say I was rather terrified of Darcy's predicament when she was forced into that hotel room. It was obvious that Neve was conflicted with doubts about Darcy's innocence but she proves it to him time and again with her loyalty to Jane and her commitment to Emmy. While wary of his power, Darcy won't allow herself to be trodden on so she deliberately pushes Neve's buttons and they have explosive encounters. There are times I laughed out loud at their silliness, particularly when Neve has the audacity to kidnap beloved Emmy. Ms. Steele's tongue in cheek sense of humour shines in this roller coaster love story. While the storyline may seem over the top, Ms. Steele actually made it work for me. This was a fun read.
Neve is astonished to find his sister's blackmailer had sent a woman to do his dirty work, but he can't quite believe that Darcy is totally innocent. So he keeps her locked in his house for the weekend until he can confirm her story. When Neve lets her leave on the Sunday, Darcy is still not sure that he believes her and then on the Monday she finds herself temping as his private secretary. He holds the threat of seeing Jane's agency ruined if she doesn't work for him. And continues to hold this threat over her so that he can see more of her. While Neve is a slavedriver, Darcy comes to see a more gentler side. When a passionate kiss quickly leads to much more, Darcy panics and orders Neve to stop. Of course he does, but then there are accusations and both shout insults which have Darcy fleeing. Fearing that Neve is going to ruin Jane's agency, she calls him to plead for him not to, only to be surprised when Neve is apologizing. She learns also from Jane that Neve has referred the agency to his colleagues and the business is now thriving. Confident now that the agency is safe, Darcy flatly refuses when Neve tries to hire her again for work. She hangs up on his calls and then even refuses to answer her door when he comes knocking. So one day while she's out on a job, Neve comes to her home and he kidnaps Emmy, now she'll have to see him.
I must say I was rather terrified of Darcy's predicament when she was forced into that hotel room. It was obvious that Neve was conflicted with doubts about Darcy's innocence but she proves it to him time and again with her loyalty to Jane and her commitment to Emmy. While wary of his power, Darcy won't allow herself to be trodden on so she deliberately pushes Neve's buttons and they have explosive encounters. There are times I laughed out loud at their silliness, particularly when Neve has the audacity to kidnap beloved Emmy. Ms. Steele's tongue in cheek sense of humour shines in this roller coaster love story. While the storyline may seem over the top, Ms. Steele actually made it work for me. This was a fun read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2012
I love how Jessica Steele creates conflict in her heroes, who end up loving the very one they hate and distrust. Then they must grovel a little! Her heroes can be ruthless.
Jessica Steele writes Harlequin Romances and some Hqn Presents. She is now about 80 years old, sad to say. Steele is one of the worst writers, in terms of syntax, grammar, etc. Her sentence construction is ... unusual. But IMO, she is among the best at Hqn in terms of storytelling and sexual tension. Her heroines are virgins, and the wanting drives the heroes nuts.
I read this eons ago, and never forgot it, keeping it on hand.
Jessica Steele writes Harlequin Romances and some Hqn Presents. She is now about 80 years old, sad to say. Steele is one of the worst writers, in terms of syntax, grammar, etc. Her sentence construction is ... unusual. But IMO, she is among the best at Hqn in terms of storytelling and sexual tension. Her heroines are virgins, and the wanting drives the heroes nuts.
I read this eons ago, and never forgot it, keeping it on hand.
Read
October 20, 2023Dnf. Didn't have the patience.
October 25, 2025
Really fun and whacky story featuring a big, hot hero (37) with a slightly volatile temper and a surprisingly feisty heroine (22). I think the kidnapping did her a good turn - she turned from dreary and too good into someone with a bit of go in her.
I liked it very much - the hero was SO smitten.
4 1/2 stars from me.
I liked it very much - the hero was SO smitten.
4 1/2 stars from me.
January 17, 2023
Entertaining and I enjoyed reading it. H was awful though, called her an obstinate b—— and held her cruelly hard. At least h didn’t fall into a blob of goo, stood up to him, called a halt to seduction.
August 23, 2024
And here I thought dark romance was a newer theme. I was wrong. This book was written in 1982. They call it romance, I call it Stockholm syndrome.
December 21, 2020
To Darcy it was just another job
All she had to do was deliver a letter. But the assignment was not what it seemed - Darcy was the unwitting messenger in a dangerous blackmail plot!
Neve Macalister believed she was involved and to prove it he kidnapped her. "I'm going to see you get all you deserve and more," he threatened.
And even when the truth had set Darcy free, she knew she would never escape the haunting memory of her bittersweet captivity.
All she had to do was deliver a letter. But the assignment was not what it seemed - Darcy was the unwitting messenger in a dangerous blackmail plot!
Neve Macalister believed she was involved and to prove it he kidnapped her. "I'm going to see you get all you deserve and more," he threatened.
And even when the truth had set Darcy free, she knew she would never escape the haunting memory of her bittersweet captivity.
October 9, 2015
Very weird dysfunctional relationship. She falls in love with her captor and I couldn't see how that could happen as he was constantly demeaning her.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews